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in "Today at Westkapelle" Albert de Jong wrote:

Very nice series! Next time, I 'll try to accompony. No birds to discuss, seems to be!?

well, I guess that depends on what you would accept as a cachinnans. Below I've pasted two pictures of a cachinnans-like bird with clearly yellow legs. This was one of two birds like this on the 13th, with another one present on 11th. All three had a very brightly coloured bill, the one in these pics even has some red on the upper mandible, and lots of black on p10-p9. Apart from these minor imperfections they looked like proper cachinnans'es, with slender bills, long tibia's etc etc. I'm not an expert on cachinnans but a bill like this looks slightly odd to me as I'm more used to seeing autumn cachinnans with aenemic looking bare parts usually with a greyish-green hue.

discuss away!

cheers, pim

As we discussed in the field yesterday, there really is a lot of black in the outer wing.
The chance these being from Poland and being influenced by michahellis genes, still would not surprise me (us).

Is Gregorz in the 'ask for help' region?

Theo

Surely interesting combination of bright bare parts + red on upper mandible + michahellis like upperwing, including mirror on p10, with cachinnans like underwing.
I have seen but a few adult cachinnans at this time of year in western Europe, with such bright bills and to a lesser degree, leg colour. I have also seen a few with a similar wing tip pattern, like the one here:

http://www.artportalen.se/birds/gallery ... eID=115596

These ones from 12.12 (by exellent photographer TL) come close in bill colour

http://www.pbase.com/thomasluiten/image/108171045

25.11

http://www.pbase.com/thomasluiten/image/107869550

How much variation in cachinnans can we tolerate?

Hello to every one!
Today i have found interesting gull.
Wing pattern, albatros posture and jizz fits for me for Caspian Gull with bright yellow bare parts.
In colony that i have visit today there is more CG with yellow legs but these one was visible more intensive form the others.